The Letters
by YukiKyo
Summary: Everyone thinks Dumbledore's dead for Harry saw him die. But when McGonagall hands him a letter now he's not so sure Dumbledore is dead. Harry has must finish school. Confusion and fear haunt the halls as summer begins and the new term is to follow
1. Disbelief

**Authors Note: ****I've seen the movies and read the books. Books mostly trump the movies but since it's been a long while since I've read the books and the movie is fresher in my mind the events that take place in this chapter are more similar to the movie then the book.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding Harry Potter.  
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**Thank you: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave feedback on how I can improve.**

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Harry Potter couldn't move, he was paralyzed by the spell Albus Dumbledore had hit him with. He had done this so Harry could not interfere with what was about to take place. Harry could only watch as the events unfolded around him. There was nothing Harry could do and that made him livid. He didn't understand why Dumbledore had chosen to paralyze him so he couldn't help. The great wizard was extremely weak after the events that took place in the cave so there was no way he would be able to fight the Death Eaters alone.

They were all up on the roof, Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. Harry had the perfect view; he could see what was happening without being seen. The spell would wear of within the next fifteen minuets but by then it would be too late.

"Any last words old man?" Harry heard someone say, by the sound of the voice it sounded like Greyback. Dumbledore was silent as he gave Snape a pleading look. If Harry had blinked he would have missed the slight nod Dumbledore gave to Snape. Harry saw Snape's lips move but was unable to make out what he said. It was then Snape shouted "Avada Kadevra!" At that same moment Dumbledore crumbled to the ground. "Got him!" Bellatrix shouted cackling madly.

Disbelief and shock flooded through Harry. Snape had just killed Dumbledore! Yet there was a voice inside Harry that told him that the spell had missed, just barely missing the older wizards ear as he crumbled to the ground. Yet Harry had seen the killing curse cast and his beloved professor sink to the ground. He was so confused as to whether the Dumbledore had actually been hit by the spell.

Harry watched as the Death Eaters turned to head back down the stone steps from which they came. They passed right by Harry who saw smirks on all of their faces. They were so happy to have Dumbledore out of the way and Hogwarts in chaos. Harry looked up to see Snape checking the body to make sure the spell had hit its mark. Satisfied he turned and went down the stone staircase nearly touching Harry as he moved swiftly to catch up with the others. The Death Eaters left as quickly as they had come.

It was a good ten minuets before the effects of the spell wore off and Harry was able to move again. It took him a few minuets to limber up his body after not being able to move it for a while. He went quickly down the stairway and into the main building. It only took a moment for Harry to realize the hall looked a tornado had gone though. Portraits were on the floor, some were hanging crookedly on the wall yelling out for someone to fix them. Some of the portraits were damaged, their inhabitants scattered throughout the school. Statues and suits of amour had been knocked down and dented or smashed. A sigh escaped Harry's lips at what the Death Eaters had done to the place. It would take a while for everything to be fixed replaced and cleaned even with magic.

Along with being messy he also noticed the main hallways were deserted. There wasn't a student or teacher in site. "Harry Potter! Everyone has gathered in the Great Hall!" One of the portraits spoke up. It never ceased to amaze him how many people knew him, even the portraits addressed him by name. Not wanting to see anymore of the school nor miss what was going on in the Great Hall. Harry rushed to the hall and stopped as soon as he passed though the enormous entryway. "Dumbledore's dead!" Harry shouted, interrupting whatever Professor McGonagall was saying. He had captured everyone's attention, they all turned to face him their faces emotionless.

"Thank you Mr. Potter for the news but Professor Snape has just informed us of what happened on the roof." McGonagall explained glancing quickly at the potions professor. "Professor Dumbledore was killed by the Avada Kedavra curse which was cast by a Death Eater." McGonagall explained. This left Harry speechless, for a moment unable to wrap his head around the fact that Snape had told everyone a Death Eater had killed Dumbledore. What McGonagall said had been partially seeing as Severus Snape was a Death Eater but which Death Eater had killed Dumbledore was left to the imagination. It took Harry a minuet to gain his voice back and process what had just been said. "He's lying! I saw Snape kill Dumbledore!" Harry shouted to upset to show any respect for the potions teacher. "Mr. Potter, that's enough!" McGonagall shouted, her voice cutting through the babble that had started based on Harry's accusations. "I will not have you accusing a Professor of murdering anyone, much less the headmaster. You are all dismissed except for you Mr. Potter." McGonagall said in a stern voice causing Harry to look at the floor for he was embarrassed for being asked to stay in front of the whole school. It took a moment for Harry to compose himself so he wouldn't look anymore like a fool, to ashamed to show his face to his peers. As soon as the blush died down Harry picked his head up to watch as the students started to file out. A lot of them looked his way as they passed, he heard a few of them mumble. Some, those he knew gave him sympathetic looks and he managed to give them a half smile, reassuring them that everything was all right.

Snape excused himself as the other teachers started to leave the Great Hall to wait for McGonagall to speak with Harry. There was a small room next to the Great Hall out of the room. They would wait in the room until McGonagall spoke with Harry, then they would meet with the transfiguration teacher to see what they would do with Dumbledore.

Harry warily approached the podium where McGonagall had been giving her speech to the school. "I'd like you to wait in my office while…." The older woman trailed off not sure how to explain to the young wizard that she as going to retrieve Dumbledore's body. "I'll be there as soon as I'm finished." She concluded. Harry wasn't stupid, he knew what the professors were going to do, and he understood why McGonagall hadn't told him directly. It was almost impossible to speak such words when someone you greatly admired had just been murdered and you were the one that had to go recover the body. Harry had no choice but to leave and wait in the professor's office. He was to upset to speak so he just nodded and left for her office.


	2. Gone

**Authors Note: I'm sorry this took so long to get up, I'm writing it in a notebook and then typing it up on the computer, work also took up some of my time. But fear not, I am almost done chapter three and should have it up by Sunday.**

**I am also dreadully sorry this chapter is so short! Even with the added content it short. But I wanted to break up this chapter and when Harry gets his letter. The next chapter will definitely be longer.**

**Feel free to review when you've read it, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks.**

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After dismissing Harry McGonagall entered the small room adjacent to the Great Hall and informed the instructors that they were going to retrieve Dumbledore's body. A few of the teachers, including Snape, went with McGonagall to recover the cadaver. When they arrived on the roof McGonagall was shocked to find the body gone. Confusion was on everyone's faces as they scanned the roof top trying to see if the body was still there somewhere in the shadows. The one question that was going through everyone's mind was what happened to the body. The most obvious answer to the question, the one that was going through everyone's head was that the Death Eaters had stolen the body and were bringing it back to Voldemort. "Dumbledore's gone!" Hagrid yelled out in anguish, tears running down his face. He had shown the most emotion when Snape had announced that Dumbledore was dead. Hagrid had been nearly inconsolable, McGonagall had to pull him aside before she spoke to the rest of the school body to calm him down. She had done all she could and Hagrid had calmed down some but for the most part he was still a mess with tears constantly streaming down his face. The other teachers and some students felt pity for the half-giant, but there was nothing they could do. There wasn't much anyone could do to comfort Hagrid; he would heal in his own time.

There was a feeling of panic once the words had been spoken. It was McGonagall that managed to calm everyone down so pandemonium didn't erupt on the rooftop. "Now, now, lets not jump to conclusions. He might be alive if the body is gone." The professor explained trying to stay positive. "Or the Death Eaters got him!" Hagrid cried, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks. Panic again swept through the teachers at the thought of Dumbledore having been captured by the Death Eaters. This time it was Severus Snape who brought reason to the group. "I think if the Death Eaters had taken them we would have seen them." The potions professor drawled. "Yes, I think Severus is right. Dumbledore may be alive." McGonagall said aloud to reassure the group as well as herself that there was no way Death Eaters could kill the great Dumbledore. The teachers were divided, they didn't know if Dumbledore was alive or deceased. Until they knew for sure there was nothing that could be done about the matter. If they tried to attack Voldemort and his followers it would most likely end very badly, especially if it turned out that the body was not on their side.

"Everyone head back to your rooms, I will speak to the students and staff in the morning regarding the rest of the term, summer as well as the following year." McGonagall instructed as she turned to leave the roof to speak with Harry.


	3. The First Letter

**Authors Note: I'm so very sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. Real life has been busy and I haven't had the motivation to type out what I had written. I will still continue the story so don't worry for I plan to make it pretty lengthy. Hope you guys like this chapter. Feel free to review and tell me what you think.**

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Anger was only one of the emotions Harry was feeling. He was frustrated that no one had believed him especially with all that had happened over the years. Harry was doing his best to control his temper and not yell at McGonagall but it was difficult not to do. He wanted nothing more then to vent to the older woman, ranting about how people should believe him, that he wasn't a liar, that Snape was a killer, a Death Eater for goodness sakes.

"Have a seat Mr. Potter, I have something to give you." Professor McGonagall said seating herself behind her desk. "But before I do I would like to discuss your actions in the Great Hall." She told him, giving him a stern stare. "It is inexcusable that you have accused Professor Snape of killing Dumbledore. You should know as well as anyone what side he is on. All the things he's done for the Order, to stop Voldemort. Dumbledore trusted Severus Snape with his life." McGonagall explained, trying to make the boy understand that Snape could not, would not, kill Dumbledore.

Harry couldn't stand the way the professor was talking about Snape, as if he was a perfect man who could do no wrong. Harry was unable to stop the words from coming out of his mouth. "Professor I saw Snape kill Dumbledore with my own eye's!" Harry said rather loudly, irritated that no one would take him seriously. "I heard him shout the killing curse and it hit Dumbledore! Why would I lie about something like that?" Harry said, exasperated that it was taking so much effort on his part for them to believe him. It would have been understandable if he had been younger and had seen this, but Harry was a almost an adult and had seen as much as one. He was always baffled when people chose to disbelieve him just because he was young. Harry wasn't he type of person to tell lies, in fact he couldn't remember the last time he had told a lie. He shouldn't have been surprised that no one believed him as harry had a long track record of times when people didn't believe him. Yet he was had figured that people would have believed him when he told them who had killed the headmaster. Everyone, the students and teachers seemed to dislike Snape so it should have been easy to believe that he had killed Dumbledore especially since the potions master had no nice bones in his body.

There was a duel going on inside McGonagall's head. She knew Harry wasn't the type of person to lie; yet to make such an accusation without any physical evidence was monstrous. As of now without further proof Snape would be innocent.

"I'm not saying you're lying Mr. Potter but without further witnesses there is not enough evidence to do anything about the matter." McGonagall explained hoping Harry would understand. "I know you think you saw him but there is nothing we can do, and that's final." She said in a tone that made sure Harry knew that the conversation was over. The possibility of asking Snape about what had occurred had crossed both their minds. It made no sense to has him though as he would tell her what he had said publicly; that a Death Eater had killed Dumbledore.

"I have something here that Dumbledore left for me to give to you once you had returned from your trip." McGonagall said a slightly confused expression clouding her face. It was as if Dumbledore knew something like this was going to happen and so he had entrusted McGonagall to give Harry the letter. Her expression softened at the thought of Dumbledore planning ahead of time. It was so like him she couldn't help but smile. She was also comforted by the fact that although he might be gone she and the rest of the school would no be lost.

Harry gave his professor a perplexing look. He wondered if the older woman was all right. "Professor?" Harry asked slightly afraid as to why the head of Gryffindor was acting so oddly. The young boys words brought the professor of her thoughts.

"Dumbledore gave me a letter that's address to you." She told Harry, opening one of the desk drawers. "Here we are Mr. Potter." She said, handing Harry the letter. "You may return to your room now." She said simply, dismissing the young wizard. Harry mumbled a 'yes professor' before returning to the common room.

Harry gave the password to the Fat Lady and entered the common room. The room was packed with students talking about the events of the last few hours. When Harry entered the room all eyes fell on him and the common room almost immediately fell silent as people stared at Harry with many thoughts going through their heads. They were flabbergasted as to why the Boy Who Lived would make a claim that the potions professor had killed the headmaster.

No one said anything as Harry made his way to the dormitory staircase. He kept his eyes on the floor, not wanting to talk to anyone just yet. It took him a moment to reach his bed before he could lie comfortably on the plush blankets and read the letter. He would tell Hermione and Ron about it in the morning when he had a chance to digest the letter and get some sleep.

Harry opened the envelope and took out the letter both eager and slightly afraid at what the contents would hold.

_Dear Harry,_

_Under the circumstances I hope you that you are doing well. I would ask you to not focus so much on the events of the past night and instead on the future but I know that will be hard. There is so much I wish to tell you but I fear it will be too much to handle at once so I will leave with a short letter. I humbly request that you do not look for the remaining horcruxes. You do not have to worry about that any longer as it is being taken care of. By whom I cannot say, but you must not worry for the matter is in good hands._

_I want you to focus on your final year at Hogwarts, putting your best feet forward to achieve greatness. Spend time with those your love and have many laughs with them._

_You do not worry about me any longer as there is no longer any need to._

_Stay strong for you are never alone,_

_Sincerely yours,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Harry held the letter in his hand for a long while his mind going over what Dumbledore had written. Harry was extremely confused as to why the Headmaster would write such a letter. How could he not go after the horcruxes, there was no one else who knew of them that wasn't already dead. The young wizards head was spinning from the contents of the letter. Not only did Dumbledore not want Harry to look for the horcruxes he wanted him to go on with his life as if nothing had happened, as if it was going to be a normal year. He was frustrated at this fact; that someone unknown was looking for the horcruxes.

He put the letter away and turned over. There was nothing he could do for rest of the night except get some rest. He'd tell Hermione and Ron the following day.


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